Lene Rantala

{{Infobox handball biography

| name = Lene Rantala

| image = Lene Rentala 20141115.jpg

| nationality = Danish

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|8|10|df=y}}

| birth_place = Gladsaxe, Denmark

| height = {{height|m=1.80|precision=0}}

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub = Retired

| clubnumber =

| years1 = 1900–1993

| clubs1 = FIF

| years2 = 1993–1994

| clubs2 = Brabrand

| years3 = 1994–1996

| clubs3 = Toten HK

| years4 = 1996–1997

| clubs4 = IK Junkeren

| years5 = 1997–2014

| clubs5 = Larvik HK

| nationalyears1 = 1991–2007

| nationalteam1 = Denmark

| nationalcaps1 = 226

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 2014–2019

| managerclubs1 = Larvik HK (Team manager)

| manageryears2 = 2018–2019

| managerclubs2 = Netherlands (GK coach)

| manageryears3 = 2019

| managerclubs3 = Larvik HK (Head coach)

| manageryears4 = 2019–2023

| managerclubs4 = Vipers Kristiansand (GK coach)

| manageryears5 = 2023–01/2025

| managerclubs5 = Vipers Kristiansand (Assistant coach)

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{DEN}} }}

}}

Lene Rantala (born 10 August 1968 in Copenhagen, Denmark) is a former Danish handball player and handball coach, two times Olympic champion and a World champion. Rantala was assistant coach for Vipers Kristiansand in the Norwegian REMA 1000-ligaen until the bankruptcy of the club{{cite web |url=https://www.dr.dk/sporten/haandbold/norsk-storklub-gaar-konkurs-igen|title=Norsk storklub går konkurs – igen|publisher=Danmarks Radio |date= 13 January 2025|accessdate=17 January 2025|language=DA|trans-title=Norwegian top club in bankrupt – again}}

Career

During her career she played for Frederiksberg IF and Brabrand in Denmark, before moving to Norway in 1994 to join Toten HK. In 1996 she joined IK Junkeren, where she played for a single season before joining Larvik HK. Here so won 40 titles with the club over a 17-year period.{{cite web |url=https://www.op.no/larvikhk/article7329333.ece |publisher=op.no|date=2 May 2014|language=no |title=Lene Rantala ferdig i Larvik HK }} In 2014 she retired at the age of 45 to become a goalkeeping coach at the club.{{cite web |url=https://sport.tv2.dk/2014-05-01-nu-siger-45-%C3%A5rige-lene-rantala-stop |publisher=TV2 Danmark|website=sport.tv2.dk|title=Nu siger 45-årige Lene Rantala stop|accessdate=22 February 2018|date=1 May 2024|language=DA|trans-title=Now the 45 year old Rantala ends it}} In December 2024 she made a short comeback due to the injury of Larvik goalkeeper Alma Hasanić.{{cite web |url=https://www.tv2.no/a/6398464 |publisher=tv2.no|title=Lene (46) klar for sin 16. NM-finale|date=30 December 2014 |accessdate=1 January 2015}}

=National team=

She debuted on the Danish national team on 14 February 1991, and has since played 226 matches for Denmark. This makes her the 3rd most tenured player on the Danish Women's national team ever behind fellow goalkeeper Karin Mortensen and Janne Kolling.{{cite web|url=https://www.haslund.info/haandbold/20_dame/30_diverse_ranglister/rangliste_kampe.asp| title=KVINDE A-LANDSKAMPE RANGLISTE 1947 - 2023|language=da| publisher =Håndbold Info}} She also has the record for the oldest player on the Danish national team ever with 42 years and 307 days.{{cite web|url=https://www.haslund.info/haandbold/20_dame/30_diverse_ranglister/%C3%A6ldst.asp| title=KVINDE A-LANDSHOLDSPILLERE ÆLDST PÅ LANDSHOLDET|language=da| publisher =Håndbold Info}} She has won numerous medals with the team, notably including two Olympic gold medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta[http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=24&sp=HAN "1996 Summer Olympics – Atlanta, United States – Handball"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208105249/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=24&sp=HAN |date=2007-12-08 }} databaseOlympics.com (Retrieved on 12 February 2008) and at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.[http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=25&sp=HAN "2000 Summer Olympics – Sydney, Australia – Handball"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407003620/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=25&sp=HAN |date=2008-04-07 }} databaseOlympics.com (Retrieved on 12 February 2008)

Personal life

Rantala is of Finnish descent through her paternal grandmother.{{cite web |url=https://www.hs.fi/urheilu/art-2000003916069.html |title=Rantala torjui Tanskalle kultaa |date=2 October 2000 |website=Helsingin Sanomat |language=fi |access-date=26 August 2020 |quote=suomalaistaustainen (isän äiti oli suomalainen) maalivahti Lene Rantala}}